Loopholes: Save Point
by BlackCypress
Summary: There was no intent for this to be a series. ts turning into one anyway FF8 today, minor 'gay' thoughts from Squall about Zell.


Too tired to do Authors notes or a disclaimer. You know the drill already.  
  
Loopholes: Save Points.  
  
They'd camped out by the swirly orb thing that they werent quite sure existed or not after they got the keys and were preparing to confront the sorceress. Galbadia garden was annoying to invade, but it could've been far worse. At least most the students were outside, fighting Balamb, so they hadnt had too hard of a time.  
  
Preparing themselves, healing, and taking a few minutes break. Squall had sat down by the wall and Rinoa had insisted laying down and resting her head in his lap, much to the youth's annoyance. The saving grace was Zell sitting behind him, massaging his neck and shoulders. Hyne, he was good at that. Squall closed his ees and mused on the ability of those hands, as a fighter and as a friend. And what else he could do if he touched other select places.  
  
If it werent for Rinoa's clingy presance, he might've said something to Zell. The little fighter had been awfully exuberant in his presance lately. He was beginning to become pretty sure that Zell wanted to be more than just friends. But the little contracted girl in his lap just kept getting in the way.  
  
Looking over at the odd little floating globe, that seemed actally fairly real, but whenever he tried touching it, it just flickered and faded. He remembered there'd been one in his shared dorm, of similar apperance, and another in his SeeD bedroom. Come to think of it, there were these things in the oddest of places. And no clue what they were for.   
  
Rinoa turned over and her eyes fluttered slightly. He hadnt realized that she'd fallen asleep until she was just starting to wake up. His eyes still on the strange orb, he felt soft, moist lips on the back of his neck, and zell cupping his face. A warm tingling sensation washing over him as the orb seemed to get brighter the same moment he was kissed, then faded again.  
  
He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, not opening them until Zell had let go and stood, shortly followed by Rinoa. They looked at each other solomnly and nodded. This was going to be the final battle. No more sorceress to terrorize their home.  
  
Up the stairs they climbed, and further up a ladder or two. Through doors, through the courtyard, and one elevator. Soon, they were in the office, just to be confronted by none other than Seifer Almsay himself, laughing at them.  
  
There wasnt much in the way of conversation. He was convinced he was better than them, that he could take all three of the on and win. He did too. Zell was first to go down, impaled upon seifer's sword and fainted on the ground, a red zero fluttering by his feet, soon hidden by pooling blood. Rinoa fell next, as Squall's Fira spell reflected off Seifer and was re-directed to hit the girl. Neither of them even blinked as she became crispy kreme. The last thing Squall saw was a gunblade raised above his head, and the downward swing. Everything went black.  
  
Somewhere, floating in the darkness, there was a litte chiming sound and a grey box floated by with two words on it.  
  
Continue?/End?  
  
'Continue' flared brightly, and burned the box away, the light getting brighter and brighter untill...  
  
Zell stood up and watched Rinoa stand, brushing herself off. The two of them looking down at Squall as his eyes snapped open, and he looked startled for a moment, before hiding it.  
  
"Something wrong, Squall?"  
  
He just shook his head and dismissed it. "Bad feelngs. Seifer's up there."  
  
Zell nodded. "Yeah I bet. Come on, lets go."   
  
They all looked at each other solomnly. One nod and they headed off. Up the stairs and a few ladders, through doors and the center of the garden, finaly to the elevator that took them up to the main office where they were greeted by Seifer, laughing at them.  
  
There wasnt much conversation which didnt apparrently surprise Squall. Seifer just wanted to prove to the that he could take all three of them on and win. And he did too, though Squall attacked him with much more feirocity than he'd anticipated. Rinoa went down first, as Seifer found her irritatingly weak and not even worth his time to spare. Zell cast a Curaga on Squall just before he was struck down, a little red zero flashing behind him before his form cumpled and blood pooled. Squall had gotten Seifer bleeding badly and the man's healing spells were almost innefective, but sadly, the last thing Squall remembered seeing was a downward strike.  
  
A little chime and a grey box in the blackness. The word 'Continue' was hi-lighted and it was nothing but burning white untill...  
  
Her eyes opened and she looked up at the ceiling, blinking the nightmare of Seifer killing her away. That, among other reasons, was why she'd left him. But Squally-poo and Zelly had been there this time. That was kind of odd. Looking up at Zell, she noticed he was looking at her and Sqall strangely.   
  
She got up off her precious Knight in shining armor and looked down at him as his eyes snapped open and he imediatly gazed up at the two of them. A revalation of strength and courage, she was sure.  
  
"Something wrong, Squall?" Zell said as the Commander stood.  
  
Squall frowned and shook his head slowly. "Bed feelings. Seifer's waiting up there."  
  
Zell nodded, sadly. "Yeah, I know.. We'd better get going. But.." He hesitated a moment, looking at Squall. Rinoa blinked, almost sure Zell looked at Squall longingly for a moment, but it must've bee a trick of her eyes when the blond looked at her too."Be careful up there. He's got some strong spells."  
  
Squall put his hand on Zells shoulder as he turned to go. "Ellone?"  
  
Zell looked shocked, taking his attention of Rinoa, which was a dissapointment since he was obviously the center of the world and this entire dilemma, or she wouldnt have come along at all.  
  
"Maybe." Zell responded slowly. "Theres something diffrent though."  
  
Squall nodded but didnt say anything else, just leading them up the stairs and some ladders, through some doors and the center of the garden, finally up one last elevator, and they were in the Office. There Seifer was, laughing at them.   
  
There was no conversation which seemed to only egg Seifer on. He wanted to prove he'd gotten better and that he could beat all of them. He would've too, if it hadnt been for Zell reaching his limit break and hitting him with almost GF force punches nearly twenty times in a row.  
  
"How.. How DARE you!" Seifer bellowed even as he fell. He'd imagined this event so mny times, he was sure of it, ending in diffrent ways, but he'd alwys won. And here he was, fallen at his former comrades feet. Until the sorceress rose.  
  
"Well, well, well..."  
  
Roughly two minuts later, there was that grey box again. The bright shining light, the opening of eyes and Squall sharply commenting, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"  
  
This event hapened four more times, Arriving to a point where even Seifer was realizing something was horribly, horribly wrong here. By the tenth time around he wasnt even trying anymore, looking bored when he was beaten down once again revived by the soceress and beaten yet again.   
  
"Arent you guys done yet?" Seifer called from the floor, propped up on his elbow and bleeding from various places while the sorceress traded blow for blow with the Balamb SeeDs and the one pressy girl he couldnt care less about right now.  
  
"Keep yer pants on!" Zell snapped at him, just as Rinoa drew Alexander from the sorceress.  
  
"Woohoo! New Gua-URK!"   
  
Squall and Zell paused to look at Rinoa as she collapsed. Seems someone had poisoned her during combat and she hadnt noticed untill too late. Seifer waved from the sidelines, grinning devilishly. The Sorceress took the distraction as time enough to cast Silence on both Squall and Zell. She blinked momentarily when both boys grinned and started laughing.  
  
The battle was difficult and it wasnt until Zell was the last man standing and looking to be on his last breath that he finally preformed a strong enough blow to take the sorceress down and end her for good.   
  
"I'm sorry, Matron." He said over her fallen form as he finally had a break to cast Cure over himself.  
  
"It's alright Zell.. Dont forget to Save."  
  
"Wait, what?" 


End file.
